Harp.



A. I. STRANDBERG & K. BREVA.

HARP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, I914.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

INV- TORS.

ATTORNEY.

MW E

ADOLPH J. STRAND-BERG AND KNU'IE BREVA, 0F DULUTH, MINNESOTA.

HARP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

Application filed March 18, 1914. Serial No. 824,483.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ADoLPH J. STRAND- BERG,subject of the King of Sweden, and KNUTE BREVA, subject of the King ofNorway, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harps,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawing.

Our invention relates to improvements in harps.

An object of our present invention is to produce such an instrumentwhich has certain auxiliary attachments whereby the scope of theinstrument may be considerably increased by tuning the instrument tovarious keys.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of ourimproved harp. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section throughthe body portion of 'the harp. Fig. 3 is a similar section with theadjustable tone changing elements removed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation ofone ofthe ad'- justable tone changing elements. Fig. 5 is a sideelevation of Fig. 4 taken at right angles thereto. Fig. 6 is aperspective View of a preferred form of intermediate support or strutfor the strings.

eferring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals designatesimilar parts, the sound box of the instrument comprises the top wall 1,the bottom wall 2, the end walls 3 and 4 and the side walls 5 and 6. Theside wall 6 is somewhatcut away in a curved form both for convenience,and also for the better access of sound waves to the auxiliarysympathetic strings 7 which are placed upon the under side of the box.The corner 8 of the sound box is extended longitudinally to form acurved portion which provides a longer reach for the auxiliary strings7, and a group of bass strings 9 for the purpose of improving the toneof these strings.

A bridge or rest 10 is formed upon the top 1 of the sound box andadjacent the end wall 3 over which the strings are stretched in a mannercommon to such instruments. A similar bridge 11 is formed adjacent theend wall 4 for the same purpose.

In the instrument illustrated in the drawings, there are shown sevengroups of strings besides the bass strings 9 and these seven groups orseries are indicated as follows: FC-GD -A-E and B. F has eleven strings,C nine, G nine, D eleven, A nlne, E eleven and B nine.

A partition wall 12' is placed within the soundbox and spaced a shortdistance from the end wall 4, it being rigidly fixed to the top andbottom walls of the box, and having a plurality of holes 13therethrough. Directly above the partition 12 and fixed upon the top 1of the box are two bed pieces 14 and 15 which are of the same materialas the box and semicircularly concave upon their uppermost face to formtrough-shaped members for the reception of the tone changing mechanism.These mechanisms comprise a plurality of cylindrically shaped rods 16and 16', which are designed tosnugly rest within the concaved surface ofthe bed pieces and beneath the strings of the instrument. The tonechanging mechanisms or elements in the dlfl'erent groups of strings abuteach other end to end. There are two tone changing elements for each oneof the groups FC-GD and A and one for each of the groups E and B.

i W e will not here describe each and every notch necessary for theproper changing of the pitch of all of the strings on the entireinstrument, as it is considered unnecessary. There are formed upon eachrod 16 and 16' notches 17 to correspond to the requirements of eachstring engagingthe tone changing element. As the drawings indicate, saidnotches are of varied depths diametrically and located longitudinally ofthe said elements, but are so arranged that when the crank arms 18 ofthe two rods 16 and 16' are down forward parallel with the top of thesound box, as shown in Fig. 1, all of the strings in the group affectedare tuned to give a major scale. \Vhcn the rod 16 in the bed 15 isturned with the crank arm 18 up vertically, then all the strings in thegroup affected are tuned to give a minor scale, and when this crank isturned down backward, the strings become inharmonious. Again, when thecranks of both elements under one group of strings are turned upvertically,-the group is still inharmonious, but when the crank arm 18of the rod 16 in the bed 15 is turned down backward and the one in thebed 14. left standing, then the strings in the group thus affected aretuned .to give a major chord of a tonic a semitone higher than before.When both rods 16 and 16 are turned down backward with their crank armsparallel with suit requirements;

the top of the sound box the group thus affected are tuned to give aminor chord of a tonic a semitone higher than before. llhus the notches17 in the tone changing elements may be formed in difierent radialpositions.

to accommodate the different strings in alinement therewith, therebeing" just three difierent positionsof each rod 16 and 16' whichafi'ect the tone of the various strings. The notches are cut upon theircylindrical rods in various radial positions, that is to say, some rodshave notches upon three sides and no two of the twelve rods are notchedalike. Taking the C group-of strings as an example, there are fourdifierent scales to be had in this group by adjustment of the tonechanging elements irrespective of the bass strings 9. The four scalesabove mentioned are as follows: In the chord of C major there is C, Gand E; in the chord of C minor there is C, G and E flat; in the chord ofC sharp there is C sharp, G sharp and F; in

the chord of C sharp minor there is C sharp Gr sharp and E.

It is found that for the most convenient and perfect adjustment ofcertain strings in certain groups, for instance, C-A-F and C strings inF group; CG-E and C in C group; G and D and B in G' group; A--F and D inD group, and A-E and C in A group; fixed rests on bridges 19 areessential intermediate the bed pieces 14 and 15, and which may or maynot engage the string above them according'to the adjustment of the rods16 and 16. These bridges may be formed in any convenient manner toproperly support the strings and give them the desired pitch. A numberof such bridges 19 may be formed of a single piece of metal as shown inFigs. 1 and 6 or of a solid block with slight elevations upon it asshown in Fig. 3. We find that a similar support is necessaryintermediate'the bed piece 15 and the bridge 11 for the A strin in the Fgroup; B string in G group; string in E group; and-D string in B group,and such su ports are indicated by the numeral 20 and to properlysupport the strings. In some cases it may not be necessary to make useof such auxiliarysupports, but in practice we have found them to beconvenient.

It will be noted that E group and B group require but one tone changingrod 16' apiece asthis is found ample for the adjustment in such groups.

Tuning pins 22 are arranged as desired to.

Suitable legs 23 are also provided for the support of the instrument andthese may be arranged upon the bottom board 2 as may be required.Notche's- 1 8 are formed in the ends of the crank arms 18 forconvenience of manipulation as the finger nail will readilv catch. insaid notch for the purpose of turning the crank.

are of any desired construction Having thus described our invention,what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a soundbox, a plurality of strings irawntaut across one surface thereof, twoparallel trough-shaped members arranged on the sounding board andadjacent one edge thereof, revoluble pitch changing elements mountedwithin the troughshaped members and beneath the strings, whereby thesaid strings are engaged or disengaged for the purpose of changingthekey thereof.

2. A musical instrument of the character described comprising a soundbox, a plurality of strings drawn taut across one sur face thereof, twoparallel trough-shaped members arranged on the upper face of the soundbox and beneath the strings, one of. the said members longer than theother, revoluble key changing elements within the said trough-shapedmembers, the said members adapted to be moved to occupy three differentpositions for changing the key of the strings.

3. A musical instrument of the character described, comprising a soundbox, a plurality of strings drawn taut across one surface thereof, aplurality of horizontal revoluble rods mounted upon the box andpositioned intermediate the strings and the box, said rods mounted toassume three different positions whereby the strings are engaged ordisengaged by the rods at will.

4. A musical instrument of the character described, comprising a soundbox, a plurality of strings drawn taut across one surface thereof andarranged in groups, a plurality of horizontal revoluble pitch-changingrods for each group of strings, the pitchchanging rods being mountedupon the box intermediate the strings and the latter and each of saidrods being mounted to assume three different positions, whereby thestrings are engaged or disengaged by the rods for the purpose ofchanging the key thereof.

5. A musical instrument, comprising a sound box, a plurality of strin sdrawn taut across one surface thereof, an resting upon fixed bridges oneadjacent each end of the box, a plurality of horizontal revolublebridges having a plurality of differently arranged notches thereon, saidbridges mounted upon the box intermediate the fixed bridges and engagingthe strings in such a manner that the key thereof may be mod1-.

fied by adjustment of the revoluble bridges.

6. A musical instrument of the character described, comprising a soundbox, a plu-' rality of strings drawn taut across one surface thereof,two parallel trough-shaped members'arranged on the upper face of thesound box and beneath the strings, revoluble key changing membersmounted within the trough-shaped members, and a partition our signaturesin the presence of two wit- Wall Within the sound boX and arrangeddinesses.

v rectly below and parallel with the said ADOLPH J. STRANDBERG.

trough-shaped members, the said partition KNUTE BREVA.

5 having a plurality of openings there-' Witnesses:

through. S. GEO. STEVENS,

In testimony whereof We hereunto aflix W. H. DENHAM.

